Baseball Astros Sign Top Reliever, Andujar, Three Others

BRIEFING

January 9, 1988

The Houston Astros re-signed pitchers Dave Smith, Danny Darwin and Larry Andersen, shortly before a midnight deadline that forced the free agents to either settle with their team or look elsewhere. All three Houston players signed two-year contracts. That left John Candelaria Mets as the only free agent who had to make a decision by midnight. He was leaning toward accepting a one-year offer from the New York Mets. The Astros also said they had signed free agent Joaquin Andujar, extended Mike Scott`s contract one year through 1989 and signed Denny Walling to a one-year deal...

If St. Louis Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog has his way, Bob Horner will not play at Busch Stadium this season. Horner, the former Atlanta slugger who played in Japan last year, is thinking about returning to the major leagues. One of the teams that has expressed interest in signing him is St. Louis, which just lost power hitter Jack Clark to the New York Yankees as a free agent. It appears that no one in the Cardinals` front office consulted Herzog, however. ``I don`t like Horner,`` he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ``Of his lifetime homers, about 70 percent were hit in Atlanta. He never could hit in St. Louis. He can`t hit and he can`t field.``

Free agent Atlee Hammaker will stay with the San Francisco Giants. Hammaker, who rebounded from shoulder surgery to post a 10-10 record last season, signed a two-year contract... The New York Yankees signed shortstop Bobby Meacham to a contract for more than $212,000, more than double last season`s salary.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FIESTA BOWL HERO LEWIS TO HAVE FINGER SURGERY

Ronald Lewis, the wide receiver who caught the winning touchdown pass in Florida State`s 31-28 defeat of Nebraska in the Fiesta Bowl, will undergo surgery soon to repair the broken little finger on his left hand. Lewis has tendon and ligament damage in the finger, and the surgery could cause him to miss baseball season. There has been speculation that offensive coordinator Wayne McDuffie and inside linebacker coach Wally Burnham would be leaving the Seminoles. Burnham denied his departure. McDuffie indicated that he was considering his future and would be talking with two pro teams... Center Paul Collison of Stranahan, an incoming freshman, reported to Florida State and then left school. Collison said Friday that he has contacted Miami about a transfer... FSU had its biggest recruiting weekend of the year with more than 30 prospects visiting.

SMU INTERVIEWS MCCARTNEY

Colorado coach Bill McCartney says he has been interviewed by Southern Methodist University Athletic Director Doug Single about the SMU vacancy. ``I want to talk to the people at Colorado,`` he said. ``I`d just as soon say nothing because the appropriate thing to do before making any comments about the situation is meet with people at CU.``...

Homer Smith, described by Alabama coach Bill Curry as ``one of the masters,`` took over as director of a Crimson Tide offense that sputtered much of last season. Smith, 56, left the NFL Kansas City Chiefs after one year as offensive coordinator to take the same post at Alabama, which went 7-5 in Curry`s first year as coach and failed to score a touchdown in its last two regular-season games, losses to Notre Dame and Auburn. Former coordinator Rip Scherer is the new assistant athletic director for player development.

TENNIS RIVE REACHES SEMIFINAL; EVERT FALLS IN EXHIBITION

Joey Rive of Lake Worth beat Australian Brad Drewett 6-4, 6-2 and John Fitzgerald beat Barry Moir 6-0, 6-1 as both reached the semifinals of the New South Wales Open in Sydney, Australia. In the women`s portion, top-seeded Pam Shriver overcame a groin injury and advanced into the semifinals by defeating Catarina Lindqvist 6-4, 6-1. In the semifinals, Shriver will meet Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, who beat Etsuko Inoue 6-2, 6-3. Helena Sukova will meet Patty Fendick in the other semifinal...

Martina Navratilova defeated Chris Evert 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in an exhibition tuneup in Gold Coast, Australia. Navratilova and Evert each face a $20,000 fine by the Women`s International Tennis Association for playing the match, but they accepted the invitation because the synthetic court surface and the balls are identical to those to be used at the Australian Open. ``This is great preparation for Melbourne -- and we are getting paid a lot more than $20,000 to be here,`` Navratilova said...

Wimbledon champion Pat Cash of Australia won 7-6, 6-4 against Sweden`s Mats Wilander in the Rio International Challenge in Adelaide, Australia. In the other match of the round-robin tournament, Henri Leconte of France defeated Stefan Edberg of Sweden 7-6 (7-5), 6-4...

Unseeded Ramesh Krishnan advanced to the semifinals of the $93,400 Benson and Hedges Open in Auckland, New Zealand, with an upset victory against top- seeded Peter Lundgren 6-3, 6-1. Krishnan will meet Jim Pugh in a semifinal. Brad Dyke upset John Frawley and will play Amos Mansdorf.